Raspberry Weed Control

by Marylee Gowans

Growing your own raspberries can be an enriching activity that you and your family can enjoy together. Raspberries are fruit-producing plants that grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10. Weed control is an important part of growing raspberries, and will help keep the plants healthy and increase their yield. Proper raspberry weed control requires manual removal, cultivation and mulching used in conjunction with each other.

Wear work gloves. Grab the base of the weeds at the soil line. Pull the weeds forcefully out of the ground, and dispose of in a garbage bag. This method works best with small weed infestations.

Till the area between the raspberries once every two weeks during the spring and summer with a garden hoe. Tilling deeper than 2 inches into the soil can damage the shallow roots of the raspberry bush. Regular tilling will destroy small weed seedlings.

Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch -- such as wood chips or sawdust -- between the berry bushes to block out sunlight and kill weeds. Leave a 1- to 2-inch gap between the base of the raspberry cane and the mulch.

Spray the foliage of the weeds with a ready-to-use glyphosate herbicide taking care not to allow the chemical to come in contact with the raspberry plants. Applying the herbicide on a calm day will help eliminate spray drifts that could damage the raspberries and other desirable plants.

Items you will need

Work gloves

Garbage bags

Garden hoe

Mulch

Ready-to-use glyphosate herbicide

Tips

Wear protective clothing and safety gear -- such as rubber gloves and goggles -- when using herbicides.

Refer to the label of the glyphosate herbicide for specific instructions and warnings.

Resources

About the Author

Marylee Gowans has written about gardening for both online and print publications. She attended the University of Akron, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. In 2009, she received master gardener certification from the Master Gardeners of Summit County, Ohio.